While the City of Cape Town discusses where to relocate them, impoverished residents living alongside the Vanguard Drive railway bridge after their informal settlement burnt down last year, face a dismal future.
Using discarded pieces of wood, plastic and cardboard, some have started rebuilding their shelters alongside the bridge.
Dan Plato, mayoral committee member for housing, said on Thursday that they had been told they were not allowed to rebuild their homes under or alongside the bridge.
In November a fire below the bridge claimed two lives and destroyed 70 dwellings leaving about 150 people homeless.
“(On Thursday) I received a few calls from the public alerting me to the fact residents were rebuilding along the bridge. The city is investigating what to do with the residents. We are in negotiations to secure a piece of land in Goodwood next to the Maitland cemetery for them,” said Plato.
Whether the people would be allowed to occupy the land would be finalised in the next few weeks, he said.
“They were first offered accommodation in the Facreton Community Hall but in the end about 50 families were staying there which equals approximately 200 people. There wasn’t enough space and they had no privacy to wash or dress. We’re taking this into consideration and planning what to do with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, about 40 people live in the bushes alongside the bridge and say they feel hopeless about the future.
“We feel terrible. The sun makes us so hot, ants and insects bite us all the time and we’re tired every day. We have nothing. People are getting sick it’s so bad and the six children living like this don’t deserve it,” said Nonceba Ndeyi as she lay on a bare mattress and swatted flies and insects away.
She said she and her partner, Eric Cishe, had stayed in the community hall but conditions were so poor they chose to return to the bridge.
“It was so bad; we rather chose to live like this,” Ndeyi said as she pointed to their “house,” a mattress and sheet of plastic propped up by wooden planks and bricks.
Patricia Cishe said she was also struggling to survive and take care of her nine-month-old son, John.
“We feel empty,” said Cishe. - Cape Times
Using discarded pieces of wood, plastic and cardboard, some have started rebuilding their shelters alongside the bridge.
Dan Plato, mayoral committee member for housing, said on Thursday that they had been told they were not allowed to rebuild their homes under or alongside the bridge.
‘The sun makes us so hot, ants and insects bite us all the time’
In November a fire below the bridge claimed two lives and destroyed 70 dwellings leaving about 150 people homeless.
“(On Thursday) I received a few calls from the public alerting me to the fact residents were rebuilding along the bridge. The city is investigating what to do with the residents. We are in negotiations to secure a piece of land in Goodwood next to the Maitland cemetery for them,” said Plato.
Whether the people would be allowed to occupy the land would be finalised in the next few weeks, he said.
“They were first offered accommodation in the Facreton Community Hall but in the end about 50 families were staying there which equals approximately 200 people. There wasn’t enough space and they had no privacy to wash or dress. We’re taking this into consideration and planning what to do with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, about 40 people live in the bushes alongside the bridge and say they feel hopeless about the future.
“We feel terrible. The sun makes us so hot, ants and insects bite us all the time and we’re tired every day. We have nothing. People are getting sick it’s so bad and the six children living like this don’t deserve it,” said Nonceba Ndeyi as she lay on a bare mattress and swatted flies and insects away.
She said she and her partner, Eric Cishe, had stayed in the community hall but conditions were so poor they chose to return to the bridge.
“It was so bad; we rather chose to live like this,” Ndeyi said as she pointed to their “house,” a mattress and sheet of plastic propped up by wooden planks and bricks.
Patricia Cishe said she was also struggling to survive and take care of her nine-month-old son, John.
“We feel empty,” said Cishe. - Cape Times
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